Support Apparatus

ABSTRACT

A support apparatus has a positioning disc mounted on a sucking disc. An operation disc is mounted on the positioning disc and has a receiving hole. Two bevel ribs are arc-shaped, are formed on and protrude along an inner wall of the receiving hole. The sucking disc has a column mounted through the positioning disc and the receiving hole of the operation disc. A pin is mounted through the column with two ends of the pin protruding beyond the column and abutting against the two bevel ribs of the operation disc. By rotating the operation disc to axially move the pin upon abutting against the bevel ribs so as to pull the sucking disc, the sucking disc can be adhered to a tablet PC. A pivotable stand connected to the positioning disc can be rested on a desk to facilitate viewing at any angle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a support apparatus and moreparticularly to a support apparatus being mountable on or dismountablefrom a predetermined location through a simple operation.

2. Description of the Related Art

To keep up with the constant technological development, computermanufacturers have launched a niche product, tablet personal computers(PC), between smart phones and notebook computers. In contrast to thesmart phones, the tablet PCs have larger screens facilitating users'browsing web pages, watching films and the like. As the tablet PCsemploy touch panels as their input devices, the keyboards equipped bynotebook computers therefore become unnecessary. Hence, the tablet PCshave the advantage over the notebook computers as far as portability isconcerned.

Most current tablet PC users hold the tablet PCs with hands or rest themon desktops. However, doing so results in the following disadvantages.When users intend to watch films through tablet PCs or perform long-hourwork, maintaining the hand-holding gesture for a long period of timeoftentimes causes sore hands. Although putting the tablet PCs ondesktops can get rid of the issue of sore hands, the tradeoff is theneck discomfort, such as pain, stiffness and the like, when users needto bow their heads for a long time to watch the screens of the tabletPCs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide a support apparatusbeing mountable on or dismountable from a predetermined location througha simple operation.

To achieve the foregoing objective, the support apparatus has a suckingdisc, a limiting shield, a positioning disc, a stand and an operationdisc.

The sucking disc has a column and a through hole. The column is formedon and protrudes from the sucking disc in a direction perpendicular tothe sucking disc. A direction to which the column orients is defined asan axial direction. The through hole is formed through the column.

The limiting shield has a neck tube and two limit slots. The neck tubeis hollow and is formed on and protrudes outwards from the limitingshield. The two limit slots are oppositely formed through the neck tube.The limiting shield is mounted on the sucking disc for the column of thesucking disc to be mounted in the neck tube and for the through hole toalign with the limit slots of the neck tube.

The positioning disc has a tube hole formed through the positioning discand mounted on the limiting shield for the neck tube to be mountedthrough the tube hole.

The stand is pivotally mounted on the positioning disc with a hinge;

The operation disc has a receiving hole, two bevel ribs and a pin. Thereceiving hole has an inner opening and an outer opening. The two bevelribs are arc-shaped, are formed on and protrude along an inner wall ofthe receiving hole, and are adjacent to the inner opening of thereceiving hole. Each bevel rib progressively increases in thickness inthe axial direction from one end to the other end. The pin is mounted inthe receiving hole of the operation disc by penetrating through thelimiting slot of the limiting disc and the through hole of the column ofthe sucking disc with two ends of the pin respectively protruding beyondthe neck tube and the column and engaging the two bevel ribs so that theoperation disc is rotatably positioned on the positioning disc.

The support apparatus is advantageous in that rotating the operationdisc can alter the positions of two ends of the pin upon abuttingagainst the bevel ribs so that the sucking disc generates sucking forcefor itself to be adhered to a tablet PC, and the stand is pivotablerelative to the positioning disc so that the stand can be mounted on adesk and facilitate the tablet PC's being viewed at an angle withcomfort. Additionally, the position disc and the stand are pivotablerelative to the limiting shield for a tablet PC mounted with the supportapparatus to be used in a landscape mode or a portrait mode, therebyenhancing operational convenience of the tablet PC.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description when takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a support apparatus in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the support apparatus in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view in partial section of the supportapparatus in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the support apparatus in FIG. 1 without anoperation disc and a cover;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view in partial section of an operation disc ofthe support apparatus in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a side view in partial section of the operation disc in FIG.5;

FIG. 7 is an operational front view of the support apparatus in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is another operational front view of the support apparatus inFIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged operational side view in partial section of thesupport apparatus in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 10 is an operational perspective view of the support apparatus inFIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is an operational perspective view of the support apparatus inFIG. 10 applied to support a tablet PC; and

FIG. 12 is another operational perspective view of the support apparatusin FIG. 10 applied to support a tablet PC.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a support apparatus in accordance withthe present invention has a sucking disc 10, a spring 20, a limitingshield 30, a positioning disc 40, a stand 50, an operation disc 60, apin 70 and a cover 80.

The sucking disc 10 has an inner side, an outer side, a column 11 and anear 13. The column 11 is centrally formed on and protrudes from theouter side of the sucking disc 10 in a direction perpendicular to thesucking disc 10, and has a first through hole 12 radially formed throughthe column 11. A direction to which the column 11 orients is defined asan axial direction. The ear 13 is formed on and protrudes from a rim ofthe sucking disc 10.

The spring 20 is mounted around the column 11 of the sucking disc 10.

The limiting shield 30 is bowl-shaped and has an inner chamber 31 asshown in FIG. 3, and has a neck tube 32 and an annular flange 34. Theneck tube 32 is hollow and is centrally formed on and protrudes outwardsfrom the limiting shield 30. An inner space of the neck tube 32communicates with the inner space 31. The neck tube 32 has two limitslots 33 oppositely formed through the neck tube 32. The annular flange34 is formed on an outer side of the limiting shield 30 and formedaround the outer periphery of the neck tube 32, and has a cylindricalsurface and four engagement indentations 35 separately formed in thecylindrical surface. The limiting shield 30 is mounted on the outer sideof the sucking disc 10 so that the column 11 of the sucking disc 10 ismounted inside the neck tube 32 and the first through hole 12 of thecolumn 11 aligns with the limit slots 33.

The positioning disc 40 has an inner side, an outer side, a circularrecess 41, four resilient arms 43, multiple anti-slip bumps 45 and apivoting part 46. The circular recess 41 is centrally formed in theouter side of the positioning disc 40 and has a tube hole 42 centrallyformed through a wall of the circular recess 41 facing the outer side ofthe positioning disc 40 and has an opening. The four resilient arms 43are formed on an inner wall of the tube hole 42 and protrude along theopening of the tube hole 42. Each resilient arm 43 has a hook portion 44formed on a free end of the resilient arm 43. The anti-slip bumps 45 areannularly formed on an edge portion of the outer side of the positioningdisc and around the circular recess 41. The pivoting part 46 is formedon and protrudes from a rim of the positioning disc 40. The positioningdisc 40 is mounted on the outer side of the limiting shield 30 so thatthe neck tube 32 of the limiting shield 30 is mounted through the tubehole 42 of the positioning disc 40.

With reference to FIG. 4, the hook portion 44 of each resilient arm 43of the positioning disc 40 engages one of the engagement indentations 35on the annular flange 34 of the limiting shield 30. The positioning disc40 can rotate with respect to the limiting shield 30 so that the hookportion 44 of each resilient arm 43 disengages from a correspondingengagement indentation 35. Each 90-degree rotation of the positioningdisc 40 with respect to the limiting shield 30 allows the hook portion44 of each resilient arm 43 of the positioning disc 40 to engage acorresponding engagement indentation 35 on the annular flange 34 of thelimiting shield 30 so that the positioning disc 40 and the limitingshield 30 can be positioned relative to each other.

With reference to FIG. 2, the stand 50 is C-shaped, and has an innerspace 51, two pivoting ends 52 and an anti-slip pad 53. The anti-slippad 53 is mounted on a middle portion of the stand 50. The stand 50 ismounted around the positioning disc 40 to receive the positioning disc40 within the inner space 51. The pivoting part 46 of the positioningdisc 40 is mounted between the two pivoting ends 52 by using a hinge 90securely connected with the pivoting part 46 of the positioning disc 40and the pivoting ends 52 so that the stand 50 is pivotable relative tothe positioning disc 40.

The operation disc 60 has an inner side, an outer side, a receiving hole61, a first bevel rib 62, a second bevel rib 62′, two stoppers 64,multiple operation recesses 65 and a second through hole 66. Thereceiving hole 61 has an inner opening and an outer opening. Withreference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the first and second bevel ribs 62, 62′ arearc-shaped, are formed on and protrude along an inner wall of thereceiving hole 61 and are adjacent to the inner opening of the receivinghole 61. Each of the first and second bevel ribs 62, 62′ has a thin endand a thick end and increases in thickness in the axial direction fromthe thin end to the thick end. With further reference to FIG. 6, thefirst and second bevel ribs 62, 62′ progressively increase in thicknessrelative to a reference plane P from the thin end to the thick end. Thethin end and the thick end of the first bevel rib 62 are respectivelyadjacent to the thick end and the thin end of the second bevel rib 62′.Each of the first and second bevel ribs 62, 62′ has a slanted surface, alow positioning indentation 63 and a high positioning indentation 63A.The slanted surface faces the outer opening of the receiving hole 61.The low positioning indentation 63 is formed in the thin end of each ofthe first and second bevel ribs 62, 62′. The high positioningindentation 63A is formed in a thick end of each of the first and secondbevel ribs 62, 62′. The two stoppers 64 are formed on the inner wall ofthe receiving hole 61 and are respectively located on an intersection ofthe thin end of the first bevel rib 62 and the thick end of the secondbevel rib 62′ and on an intersection of the thick end of the first bevelrib 62 and the thin end of the second bevel rib 62′. The operationrecesses 65 are separately formed in the outer side of the operationdisc 60 and arranged around the receiving hole 61. The second throughhole 66 is radially formed through one of the operation recesses 65 andcommunicates with the receiving hole 61. The operation disc 60 isrotatably mounted in the circular recess 41 of the positioning disc 40,and the neck tube 32 of the limiting shield 30 is mounted in thereceiving hole 61 of the operation disc 60.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 7, the pin 70 is shorter than a diameterof the receiving hole 61 of the operation disc 60, and is mounted in thereceiving hole 61 of the operation disc 60 by sequentially penetratingthrough the second through hole 66, the receiving hole 61 of theoperation disc 60, the limiting slot 33 of the limiting disc 30 and thefirst through hole 12 of the column 11 of the sucking disc 10 with twoends of the pin 70 respectively protruding beyond the neck tube 32 andthe column 11 and engaging the low positioning indentations 63 of thefirst and second bevel ribs 62, 62′ so that the operation disc 60 can berotatably positioned within the circular recess 41 of the positioningdisc 40, the sucking disc 10 is axially movable, and two ends of thespring 20 respectively abut against the outer side of the sucking disc10 and the pin 70.

The cover 80 is mounted on the outer opening of the receiving hole 61 ofthe operation disc 60, and has an outer side for a brand name and logoto be printed thereon.

When the support apparatus is mounted to an object to be supported, theinner side of the sucking disc 10 is first attached to the object, andthe operation disc 60 is further rotated, so that the slanted surfacesof the first and second bevel ribs 62, 62′ respectively push two ends ofthe pin 70 and the pin 70 is axially moved inside the operation disc 60to pull the sucking disc 10. With reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, theoperation disc 60 can be continuously rotated until both ends of the pin70 respectively engage the high positioning indentations 63A of thefirst and second bevel ribs 62, 62′. A vacuum sucking force is generatedon the inner side of the sucking disc 10 for the object to be supportedto be attracted and affixed on the sucking disc 10. A restoring force ofthe spring 20 pushes the sucking disc 10 to generate more sucking forceon the sucking disc 10. With reference to FIG. 10, the stand 50 ispivoted relative to the positioning disc 40 for the support apparatus tostand. When the support apparatus is dismounted, the operation disc 60is rotated for the pin 70 to be axially moved inside the operation disc60 and for both ends of the pin 70 to engage the low positioningindentations 63 of the operation disc 60. The sucking disc 10 thenreleases its sucking force. The ear 13 of the sucking disc 10 is pulledto remove the support apparatus. The support apparatus can be mounted ordismounted through the simple operation as described.

With reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, the support apparatus is adhered to arear of a tablet PC 100 so that the tablet PC 100 can be supported on adesk and inclined at any angle for viewing comfort. The operation disc40 and the stand 50 can be rotated relative to the limiting disc 30 toorient the tablet PC 100 in a landscape mode or a portrait mode, and thestand 50 is rested on the desk to support the tablet PC 100. The supportapparatus can be also adhered to ceramic tiles in a bathroom for hanginga towel and other personal sanitary supplies on the stand 50.Accordingly, the support apparatus of the present invention providesbetter operational convenience and flexibility.

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the presentinvention have been set forth in the foregoing description, togetherwith details of the structure and function of the invention, thedisclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail,especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts withinthe principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by thebroad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims areexpressed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A support apparatus comprising: a sucking dischaving: a column formed on and protruding from the sucking disc in adirection perpendicular to the sucking disc, wherein a direction towhich the column orients is defined as an axial direction, and a throughhole formed through the column; a limiting shield having: a neck tubebeing hollow and formed on and protruding outwards from the limitingshield; and two limit slots oppositely formed through the neck tube;wherein the limiting shield is mounted on the sucking disc for thecolumn of the sucking disc to be mounted in the neck tube and for thethrough hole to align with the limit slots of the neck tube; apositioning disc having a tube hole formed through the positioning discand mounted on the limiting shield for the neck tube to be mountedthrough the tube hole; a stand pivotally mounted on the positioning discwith a hinge; an operation disc having: a receiving hole having an inneropening and an outer opening; two bevel ribs being arc-shaped, formed onand protruding along an inner wall of the receiving hole, and beingadjacent to the inner opening of the receiving hole, wherein each bevelrib progressively increases in thickness in the axial direction from oneend to the other end; and a pin mounted in the receiving hole of theoperation disc by penetrating through the limiting slot of the limitingdisc and the through hole of the column of the sucking disc with twoends of the pin respectively protruding beyond the neck tube and thecolumn and engaging the two bevel ribs so that the operation disc isrotatably positioned on the positioning disc.
 2. The support apparatusas claimed in claim 1, wherein each bevel rib has: a slanted surfacefacing the outer opening of the receiving hole; and a low positioningindentation and a high positioning indentation respectively formed intwo ends of the bevel rib; and the two ends of the pin respectivelyengage the low positioning indentations or the high positioningindentations.
 3. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe limiting shield has: an annular flange formed on an outer side ofthe limiting shield and formed around an outer periphery of the necktube; a cylindrical surface; and four engagement indentations separatelyformed in the cylindrical surface; and the positioning disc has fourresilient arms formed on an inner wall of the tube hole and protrudingalong an opening of the tube hole, each resilient arm having a hookportion formed on a free end of the resilient arm and engaging one ofthe engagement indentations on the annular flange of the limitingshield.
 4. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein thelimiting shield has: an annular flange formed on an outer side of thelimiting shield and formed around an outer periphery of the neck tube; acylindrical surface; and four engagement indentations separately formedin the cylindrical surface; and the positioning disc has four resilientarms formed on an inner wall of the tube hole and protruding along anopening of the tube hole, each resilient arm having a hook portionformed on a free end of the resilient arm and engaging one of theengagement indentations on the annular flange of the limiting shield. 5.The support apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a springmounted around the column of the sucking disc with two ends of thespring respectively abutting against the outer side of the sucking discand the pin.
 6. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 2 furthercomprising a spring mounted around the column of the sucking disc withtwo ends of the spring respectively abutting against the outer side ofthe sucking disc and the pin.
 7. The support apparatus as claimed inclaim 3 further comprising a spring mounted around the column of thesucking disc with two ends of the spring respectively abutting againstthe outer side of the sucking disc and the pin.
 8. The support apparatusas claimed in claim 4 further comprising a spring mounted around thecolumn of the sucking disc with two ends of the spring respectivelyabutting against the outer side of the sucking disc and the pin.
 9. Thesupport apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positioning dischas a pivoting part formed on and protruding from a rim of thepositioning disc; and the stand is C-shaped and has: an inner space; andtwo pivoting ends; wherein the stand is mounted around the positioningdisc to receive the positioning disc within the inner space, and thepivoting part of the positioning disc is mounted between the twopivoting ends by using a hinge securely connected with the pivoting partof the positioning disc and the pivoting ends so that the stand ispivotable relative to the positioning disc.
 10. The support apparatus asclaimed in claim 2, wherein the positioning disc has a pivoting partformed on and protruding from a rim of the positioning disc; and thestand is C-shaped and has: an inner space; and two pivoting ends;wherein the stand is mounted around the positioning disc to receive thepositioning disc within the inner space, and the pivoting part of thepositioning disc is mounted between the two pivoting ends by using ahinge securely connected with the pivoting part of the positioning discand the pivoting ends so that the stand is pivotable relative to thepositioning disc.
 11. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 3,wherein the positioning disc has a pivoting part formed on andprotruding from a rim of the positioning disc; and the stand is C-shapedand has: an inner space; and two pivoting ends; wherein the stand ismounted around the positioning disc to receive the positioning discwithin the inner space, and the pivoting part of the positioning disc ismounted between the two pivoting ends by using a hinge securelyconnected with the pivoting part of the positioning disc and thepivoting ends so that the stand is pivotable relative to the positioningdisc.
 12. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein thepositioning disc has a pivoting part formed on and protruding from a rimof the positioning disc; and the stand is C-shaped and has: an innerspace; and two pivoting ends; wherein the stand is mounted around thepositioning disc to receive the positioning disc within the inner space,and the pivoting part of the positioning disc is mounted between the twopivoting ends by using a hinge securely connected with the pivoting partof the positioning disc and the pivoting ends so that the stand ispivotable relative to the positioning disc.
 13. The support apparatus asclaimed in claim 5, wherein the positioning disc has a pivoting partformed on and protruding from a rim of the positioning disc; and thestand is C-shaped and has: an inner space; and two pivoting ends;wherein the stand is mounted around the positioning disc to receive thepositioning disc within the inner space, and the pivoting part of thepositioning disc is mounted between the two pivoting ends by using ahinge securely connected with the pivoting part of the positioning discand the pivoting ends so that the stand is pivotable relative to thepositioning disc.
 14. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 6,wherein the positioning disc has a pivoting part formed on andprotruding from a rim of the positioning disc; and the stand is C-shapedand has: an inner space; and two pivoting ends; wherein the stand ismounted around the positioning disc to receive the positioning discwithin the inner space, and the pivoting part of the positioning disc ismounted between the two pivoting ends by using a hinge securelyconnected with the pivoting part of the positioning disc and thepivoting ends so that the stand is pivotable relative to the positioningdisc.
 15. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein thepositioning disc has a pivoting part formed on and protruding from a rimof the positioning disc; and the stand is C-shaped and has: an innerspace; and two pivoting ends; wherein the stand is mounted around thepositioning disc to receive the positioning disc within the inner space,and the pivoting part of the positioning disc is mounted between the twopivoting ends by using a hinge securely connected with the pivoting partof the positioning disc and the pivoting ends so that the stand ispivotable relative to the positioning disc.
 16. The support apparatus asclaimed in claim 8, wherein the positioning disc has a pivoting partformed on and protruding from a rim of the positioning disc; and thestand is C-shaped and has: an inner space; and two pivoting ends;wherein the stand is mounted around the positioning disc to receive thepositioning disc within the inner space, and the pivoting part of thepositioning disc is mounted between the two pivoting ends by using ahinge securely connected with the pivoting part of the positioning discand the pivoting ends so that the stand is pivotable relative to thepositioning disc.
 17. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 1,wherein the sucking disc has an ear formed on and protruding from a rimof the sucking disc.
 18. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 2,wherein the sucking disc has an ear formed on and protruding from a rimof the sucking disc.
 19. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 3,wherein the sucking disc has an ear formed on and protruding from a rimof the sucking disc.
 20. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 4,wherein the sucking disc has an ear formed on and protruding from a rimof the sucking disc.